A walk through Wednesday

[ NATIONAL ]

Hijab Row: India hits out at OIC for commenting on dress code row

India on Tue hit out at Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for its “misleading” comments in the wake of the dress code row and said issues are resolved in the country following its constitutional framework as well as democratic ethos. Adding that the OIC continues to be “hijacked” by vested interests to further their nefarious propaganda against India. In the wake of the dress code row in certain schools in Karnataka, the OIC general secretariat asked India to ensure the safety, security, and wellbeing of the Muslim community while protecting the way of life of its members. 

I-T department conducts searches on China’s Huawei over tax evasion investigation

The Income-tax department has conducted searches at multiple premises of Chinese telecom company Huawei in the country as part of a tax evasion investigation, official sources said on Wed. The raids were launched at the company’s premises in Delhi, Gurugram (Haryana), and Bengaluru in Karnataka on Tue. Sources said the officials looked at financial documents, account books, and company records as part of a tax evasion investigation against the company, its Indian businesses, and overseas transactions. Some records have been seized too, they said. The tax department had last year conducted searches against Chinese mobile communication and handset manufacturing companies like Xiaomi and Oppo and their linked persons and claimed to have detected alleged unaccounted income worth over Rs 6,500 crore due to violation of the Indian tax law and regulations.

Canada’s new immigration policy to benefit Indians

Canada is increasing its proposed intake of immigrants into the country, targeting as many as 475,000 in 2024. Among the major beneficiaries of the plan will be Indians as they comprise the single largest source country for immigrants to Canada. The 2022-24 Immigration Levels Plan aims to continue welcoming immigrants at a rate of about 1% of Canada’s population, including 431,645 permanent residents in 2022, 447,055 in 2023, and 451,000 in 2024. However, the high end of the range forecast for 2024 could reach 475,000. The arrival of the Covid-19 in 2020 reduced the intake severely, but of the 184,606 permanent residents admitted that year, Indians accounted for 42,876, or 23% of the total and almost two-and-a-half times the numbers for the next highest, China, at 16,535.

Envoys of four nations present credentials to President Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind accepted credentials from the High Commissioners of 4 nations at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on Wed. Anisa K. Mbega, High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania, Isse Abdillahi Assoweh, Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti, Sinisa Pavic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia, and Slobodan Uzunov, Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia presented their credentials to the President, according to a press release by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Cabinet nods preparations for India’s G20 Presidency, approves setting up and staffing of the G20 Secretariat too

India will hold the Presidency of the G20 from Dec 1, 2022, to Nov 30, 2023, culminating with the G20 Summit in India in 2023. As per practice, a G20 Secretariat is being established to handle work relating to substantive / knowledge/ content, technical, media, security, and logistical aspects of India’s G20 Presidency. The Secretariat will be functional till February 2024. The Secretariat will be guided by an Apex Committee headed by Prime Minister, and comprising Finance Minister, Home Minister, External Affairs Minister, and G20 Sherpa (Commerce & Industry, Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister), to provide overall guidance to India’s G20 Presidency. Further, a Coordination Committee will also be set up to oversee all G20 preparations and report to the Apex Committee.  The G20 Secretariat will enable long-term capacity building, including knowledge and expertise, for India’s leadership on global issues in multilateral fora.

Indian World Forum seeks immediate UN intervention for safety of minorities in Pakistan

Puneet Singh Chandhok, President of the Indian World Forum on Wed, wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, seeking “immediate intervention” for the safety of minorities living in Pakistan as they are repeatedly facing atrocities and are victims of heinous crimes in the country.

Saudi Arabia land forces commander’s visit to India a historic first, says defense ministry

Lt. Gen. Fahd Bin Abdullah Al-Mutair arrived in India over a year after Army chief Gen. Naravane visited the Gulf state in 2020.

Lt Gen C Bansi Ponnappa takes over as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff

Lt Gen C Bansi Ponnappa has taken over as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (IS&C) of the Indian Army, said the Indian Army today (Wed). Indian Army from their official Twitter account posted that Lt Gen has the distinction of commanding the prestigious Vajra Army.

Railways connect India’s longest tunnel T-49 in the Katra-Banihal section

At a length of 12.758 km, tunnel T-49 of the Indian Railways surpasses the 11.2-km long Pir Panjal Tunnel on the Banihal-Qazigund section.

Deep Sidhu died during treatment after a road accident, a woman accompanying him in the car out of danger now: Police

Actor Deep Sidhu died during treatment after the road accident and a woman, who was in the car accompanying him, is presently undergoing treatment and is out of danger, said Police chief (SP) Sonipat. Speaking to media persons on Wed, he said, We got information that two people have been brought to the hospital after a road accident. The SP also said that the accident took place at Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway. SP further said at the moment, the identity of the woman cannot be revealed as permissions are required. “In due course, we will disclose it,” SP said. Sharma said that as per the investigation conducted so far, they were traveling towards Bathinda. In Feb last year, Sidhu was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the Republic Day violence case in 2021. A tractor rally by farmers on Republic Day had turned violent after protesters came to the Red Fort. The farmers were protesting against 3 (now repealed) farm laws. Delhi Police had said in its FIR that Deep Sidhu “instigated the mob not to follow the permitted route of the Kisan parade and breach barricades with tractors” on January 26, 2021. meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi extended condolences over the death.

Manish Tewari asks Kejriwal to show proof for claims that security agencies supply drugs in Punjab

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Wed slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his claims that national security agencies were involved in supplying arms and drugs to Punjab. Tewari asked Kejriwal to show proof to prove his charges. Aam Aadmi Party national convenor had earlier raised questions over the role of the national security agencies in supplying arms and drugs in Punjab. Tewari termed the claims of the CM a “very serious allegation”, and said that it will take five years to understand the complicated situation of Punjab. Addressing a press conference in Ludhiana today, the Congress leader said, “There is no doubt that Pakistan has been trying to destabilize Punjab since 1975 by sending arms and drugs,” he added.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

China may take advantage of Ukraine crisis: US general

General Kenneth Wilsbach, the head of US Pacific Air Forces, did not go into specifics about what China might do during the Ukraine crisis, saying only that there were “probably several options” for Beijing.

China on ‘alert’ for rising commodity prices despite inflation easing

China remains on alert to rising commodity prices amid mounting global headwinds despite headline inflation growth softening in Jan. Premier Li Keqiang expressed China’s confidence in“tackling inflation” earlier this week before Wed’s data confirmed both consumer and factory-gate price growth slowed last month. Helped by government measures to control raw material costs, China’s official producer price index (PPI), which reflects the prices factories charge wholesalers for products, beat expectations and rose by 9.1% in Jan from a year earlier. This was down from a rise of 10.3 % growth in Dec, while it was also the slowest growth since Jul.

PLA not yet ready for all-out Taiwan war, island’s military experts say

Mainland armed forces need another 10 to 15 years of reform to launch a full-scale cross-strait attack, experts tell Taipei seminar. US-led maritime alliance seen to be a bigger headache for Beijing in the near term

Pak opposition slams Imran Khan govt over hike in petroleum prices

Opposition parties in Pakistan on Wed slammed the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) govt over the increase in petroleum prices and demanded it reverse the decision, local media reported. The govt on Tue increased the prices of all petroleum products by Rs10 to Rs12/l for the next fortnight ending on Feb 28 to pass on the impact of higher international oil prices and application of additional petroleum levy, as committed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Pakistan witnessing a resurgence of terrorism after Taliban’s takeover of Kabul

Recent attacks in which many killed Pakistani soldiers were killed suggest that there is a surge of terror activity in the country since the Taliban took over Kabul, last year. An Islamabad-based think tank, the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, recently published a report endorsing the fear that Pakistan has been slowly sliding into chaos and instability for the last couple of years, reported Diplomat, an international magazine. In January alone, several terrorist incidents rocked Pakistan as major cities including Islamabad and Lahore were targeted. On Jan 25, in an attack in Kech, Balochistan over 10 Pakistani military personnel were killed. Just over a week later, on Feb 2, the Noshki and Panjgur districts of the same province saw the killing of seven military personnel, including an officer. Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group in Balochistan, claimed the responsibility for the attack. They claimed to have killed “more than 100 enemy personnel” in Noshki and Panjgur.

Pakistan asks UNSC to help stop attacks from Afghanistan

Pakistan has urged the UN Security Council to hold accountable the “masterminds” who continue to support, finance, and sponsor cross-border terrorist attacks into its territory. Pakistan raised the issue of cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan after India used the UN forum on Mon to accuse Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism in occupied Kashmir. The Indian initiative turned the annual meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) in New York into a battle of words between South Asia’s two nuclear powers. This was the committee’s first briefing since Jan when India assumed its chair.

Pakistan likely to slip into ‘black list’ of FATF for non-compliance: report

Ahead of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) Plenary and Working Group Meetings in Paris, analysts have said that Pakistan is likely to slip into the ‘black list’ of the global anti-terrorist financing and anti-money laundering watchdog for non-compliance. Pakistan has been on the Paris-based FATF’s grey list for deficiencies in its counter-terror financing and anti-money laundering regimes since June 2018. This greylisting has adversely impacted its imports, exports, remittances, and limited access to international lending. Since coming to power, PM Imran Khan has been campaigning for Pakistan’s removal from the FATF’s greylisting without any success. On the contrary, it has been capitulating before Islamist outfits such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In an analytical piece, Global Strat View said that decisions taken by the Pakistan govt may have violated the FATF mandates. According to the Global Strat View, there are strong signals that it could be placed in the ‘black list’.

Pakistan’s federal agency arrests senior journalist in Islamabad

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested journalist Mohsin Baig from his home in Islamabad on Wed. Baig, who has been critical of the government’s policies, is the second arrest made by the law enforcement agencies during the past week over anti-government commentary, The News International reported.

Saudi Arabia land forces commander’s visit to India a historic first, says defense ministry

Saudi Arabia Land Forces Commander Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair’s visit to India is a historic and landmark first, the defense ministry said Tue.

  • Lt. Gen. Fahd Bin Abdullah held extensive talks with Indian Army chief General M.M. Naravane Tuesday, a day after arriving in the country.
  • Lt. Gen. Fahd Bin Abdullah’s trip comes over a year after Gen Naravane became the first-ever Indian Army chief to visit the Gulf state in Dec 2020.

The growing ties-The move appears to represent the next step in the recent shift in relations between India and Saudi Arabia, a nation that historically had close ties with Pakistan.

  • Rifts between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were previously reported in Aug 2020, over the Gulf state’s position on the scrapping of Article 370 in the erstwhile state of J&K.
  • Then Pakistan Army Chief was not permitted to meet Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman when he visited Saudi Arabia in an attempt to mend relationships.
  • Trade between the two nations continues, with Pakistan daily The Nation reporting that the country had taken a loan of $3 billion from the Gulf state in Dec 2021 at 4% interest for a year.
  • Amid these developments, India emerged as a potential ally for the Saudis in 2020.
  • Prior to Naravane’s Dec 2020 visit, India had issued a strong condemnation of a missile attack on an Aramco oil facility in Jeddah and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

In Jan this year, Riyadh-based English daily Arab News had reported that India was Saudi Arabia’s “second-largest trading partner” in the first 3 quarters of 2021, while the Gulf state is now a prominent investment destination for Indians.

Some 745 Indian companies are registered as joint ventures or 100% owned entities in the Kingdom as of Oct 2021. These figures stretch across sectors and amount to cumulative invested capital of around $2 billion. Saudi investments in India have seen a big jump over the last two years, especially after the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to India in Feb 2019 which raised Saudi investments in India to $100 billion,” the report said.

China may take advantage of Ukraine crisis: US general

General Kenneth Wilsbach, the head of US Pacific Air Forces, did not go into specifics about what China might do during the Ukraine crisis, saying only that there were “probably a number of options” for Beijing (do something “provocative” in Asia), while western forces will be busy.

  • Russia’s deployment of more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border has triggered fears in Washington and other Western capitals of a looming invasion.
  • General Kenneth Wilsbach, the head of US Pacific Air Forces, noted that China had aligned itself with Russia in the crisis, raising questions about its intentions in Asia.

From the standpoint of will China see what’s happening in Europe and… try to do something here in the Indo-Pacific — absolutely yes, that’s a concern,” Wilsbach said, using an alternative term for the Asia-Pacific region.

  • I do have my concerns that they would want to take advantage,” he added, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow.
  • Wilsbach said that when Beijing expressed support for Russia in the Ukraine standoff, he held talks with his staff and other “entities” in the region about its implications.
  • Based in Hawaii, Wilsbach’s command would play a central role if conflict erupts in the Pacific.
  • Over the years, Beijing has been blamed for stoking tensions in the region as it has steadily cemented control of key islands and atolls in the South China Sea.
  • Beijing claims almost the entirety of the sea, but that overlaps with those of Taiwan and four Southeast Asian countries — Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
  • While the US and other Western nations have no claims there, they fear Chinese control would infringe on freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.
  • In recent months, China has also ramped up pressure on Taiwan — which it sees as its territory — by sending fighter jets into the island’s air defense identification zone.
  • Wilsbach said that when China looks at crises, it considers whether “this is an opportunity for gain”.

Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry published a video on Wed that it said showed a column of tanks and military vehicles leaving annexed Crimea across a railway bridge after drills, adding that some troops would also return to their permanent bases.

US President Joe Biden said on Tue that more than 150,000 Russian troops were still amassed near Ukraine’s borders after Moscow announced a partial pullback was met with skepticism.

India is in talks with several airlines to help its citizens fly out of Ukraine

Indian authorities are in talks with several airlines on increasing the number of flights from Ukraine to facilitate Indians wishing to leave the eastern European nation amid tensions over a Russian troop build-up.

  • The increase in flights is meant to cater primarily to Indian students, who have been asked to consider leaving Ukraine given the uncertainty there.
  • Discussions are currently underway with civil aviation authorities and various airlines on how to increase the number of flights between India and Ukraine, people familiar with the matter said on Wed.
  • The Indian embassy in Kiev had on Tue asked Indians in Ukraine, especially students, to consider leaving and to avoid non-essential travel within the country amid persisting fears of an invasion.

Railways connect India’s longest tunnel T-49 in the Katra-Banihal section

In a breakthrough development, the main tunnel of the Katra-Banihal section, T-49, was successfully connected on Tue between Sumber and Arpinchala stations, the Northern Railways said.

Once completed, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) mega project will be the longest tunnel of the Indian Railways.

  • Tunnel T-49 is 12.758 km long and is set to be the longest tunnel of Indian Railways, surpassing the 11.2 km long Pir Panjal Tunnel on the Banihal-Qazigund section.
  • The south portal of Tunnel T-49 is located in the picturesque Sumber village at a distance of 45km from the district headquarters Ramban in J&K at an altitude of 1400m.
  • The north portal of the tunnel is located near Arpinchala village of Khari tehsil, Ramban district, in Mahu-Mangat Valley at an altitude of about 1,600m.
  • T-49 tunnel has two tubes: the main tunnel and an escape tunnel. It has been constructed by the new Austrian tunneling method (NATM), which uses a modern drilling and blast technique. The cross-section profile of the tunnel is modified horseshoe-shaped.
  • As per international standards, the escape tunnel is being constructed parallel to the main tunnel, connected by cross passages at an interval of 375m to facilitate rescue and restoration work.
  • The Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL) project is set to be 272-km long, of which 161km has already been commissioned and operationalized.
  • A 111-km stretch between the intervening Katra-Banihal section is under progress at a rapid pace. The section is particularly challenging due to its terrain in the lower Himalayas, the railways said. The Katra-Banihal section has several major bridges and very long tunnels which are under construction at different stages, the railways said.

Despite challenges during construction, such as shear zone, perched aquifer, and highly jointed rock mass, rock problems of squeezing, and high ingress of water, the team of experienced engineers successfully achieved this breakthrough, the railways noted.

Apart from engineers and workers, the local population was also employed by agencies for various construction-related work, in the region.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

PLA not yet ready for all-out Taiwan war, island’s military experts say

SCMP-Beijing will try to use limited military actions and non-conventional means to force Taiwan to the table within a decade, the self-ruled island’s defense experts believe.

That is because the People’s Liberation Army is not yet ready to launch an all-out attack on Taiwan, according to the experts, and also the more pressing concern of the US-led Aukus maritime alliance targeting Beijing in the South China Sea and wider Indo-Pacific region.

Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be reunited by force if needed, has intensified military pressure in recent months, staging war games close to the island and sending dozens of fighter jets into its air defense zone almost daily.

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